Raceday focus: Best bets, inside mail for Canterbury Park, Port Macquarie

After a sparkling barrier trial in her new campaign, Hawkes Racing’s talented Eight Diamonds looks hard to beat. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL

Tommy Berry (pictured) and Hawkes Racing team up with the talented Eight Diamonds in the opening event. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images

Form analyst Shayne O’Cass was suitably impressed by the recent barrier trial of Eight Diamonds and he is confident she can kick start the meeting on a win note.

The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!

CANTERBURY PARK

BEST BET

Race 1, No. 8: EIGHT DIAMONDS

Team Hawkes and Tommy Berry combine here with a talented Sebring filly who set the scene for a first-up win in her trial. Loaded with ability.

NEXT BEST

Race 2, No. 1: MOUNT FUJI

Pricey colt who has won a trial since his super encouraging first-up second at Warwick Farm. Bound for better races.

VALUE BET

Race 4, No. 5: SPACE IS DEEP

Third-up at the right trip, the right track the right barrier and the right jockey. Makes plenty of appeal.

QUADDIE

Race 4: 1,5,3,9

Race 5: 5,6

Race 6: 1,2,5,8

Race 7: 1,2,10

James McDonald can get his Premirship charge back under way with several good chances at Canterbury on Friday night. Photo: Mark Evans/Getty Images

JOCKEY TO FOLLOW

James McDonald leads Tommy Berry by 2 wins in the Sydney Jockeys Premiership; both have some great rides tonight.

PORT MACQUARIE

BEST BET

Race 4, No. 3: AREYA TUCHUZY

Lightly-raced gelding with a very good C.V at this point in time. Drawn well for the win.

NEXT BEST

Race 6, No. 6: IMPULSE CONTROL

Bolted in here 14-days despite drifting from $1.35 to $1.80. Can keep progressing - fast.

VALUE BET

Race 2, No. 3: FLEET AIR ARM

Kris Lees-trained gelding who will take beating if he brings his trial form to the races.

INSIDE MAIL FOR CANTERBURY PARK

RACE 1

Eight Diamonds is a daughter of Sebring out of a half-sister to Star Witness and the San Domenico winner Nostradamus. Trained by Team Hawkes, Eight Diamonds has always shown a bit extra than most horses. She will be better for the experience of that somewhat eventful first campaign and her trial win was absolutely brilliant. Iolanthe was a $950,000 Godolphin purchase at the Easter Yearling sale and is by Vancouver out of Arcadia Queen’s WA Derby winning half-sister, Arcadia Dream. Market watch is essential. Not A Choice is a cracking type, very reminiscent of her sire, Not A Single Doubt.

BET: EIGHT DIAMONDS TO WIN

RACE 2

Mount Fuji was the sale-topper at Easter in 2019 sold for $2.8 million. A brother-in-blood to Menari, Mount Fuji is one his way to a good race, time and place currently unknown. He was the eye-catcher on the whole Warwick Farm card when he resumed there on December 9 and has been kept up to the mark with a smashing trial win 7-days ago. He would probably be a good thing had it not been for the presence of the I Am Invincible/Lilliburlero son Military Parade who finished like a shot out of gun to run a close second in his latest trial.

BET: MOUNT FUJI TO WIN, EXACTA 2 TO BEAT 4

April Rain is destined for bigger things this autumn. Photo: Grant Guy

RACE 3

April Rain is another horse racing at Canterbury on Friday night that will be in the big time this autumn. She was never, at any stage, going to get beat here on New Year’s Day in that 1250m maiden. This is a 1250m Benchmark 72 and while of much, much better quality than the last visit, she is the one all the upside. Orpheum beat Malkovich et al when she won on the Kensington track back in late August. Seems to have come back in great shape. Virgo has the same draw (3) and jockey (Kathy O’Hara) as she did when she walked in here also on January 1.

BET: APRIL RAIN TO WIN

RACE 4

Space is Deep has a good record/strike-rate and also a very interesting pedigree. Her dam McIvor Silk won the Magic Millions in Malaysia while the grand-dam won a Parramatta Cup at Rosehill. Anyway, vis-a-vie the form; Waller’s mare sets up perfectly here third-up with a great draw and a great jockey. Alchermes is getting to become a magnet for bad luck. ‘Certainty beaten’ might be going a bit far about that last run here but she should have been in the finish. Home Ground and Mubariz are obvious players.

BET: SPACE IS DEEP TO WIN, BOX TRIFECTA 1,3,5,9

RACE 5

Pitchfork was going great guns before he blotted the copybook on Boxing Day at Randwick when fancied. He was next seen on January 7 in a trial there at home and even though he ran fifth of the 9, he was probably one of the best triallers all morning. Take note that he is ‘one for one’ at the track/distance. Donandkim is a different horse on firm going which is what he gets on Friday night. He has only been here once and was $15 into $9.50 and ran accordingly. Come Along doesn’t know how to put in a bad run and he quite likes it here over this trip.

BET: PITCHFORK TO WIN, QUINELLA 5,6

Chris Waller has a number of leading chances at Canterbury Park on Friday night. Photo: James Gourley

RACE 6

Super Effort should have won first-up at Warwick Farm then was beaten by ‘Sydney’s form horse’ Private Eye after that. Assuming he is not here, it would open the door for the Scone galloper Step On Fire who was brave under fire when fourth in a Highway on December 12. Trialled like the good horse he obviously is when a distant but unhurried second in a Muswellbrook heat on Monday. Frozen In Time from barrier 4 and Hugh Bowman; tick, tick. Nindamos ran okay at Gosford but his trial since was pure gold.

BET: SUPER EFFORT TO WIN, OR IF SCRATCHED STEP ON FIRE TO WIN

RACE 7

Reigning Jungle Juice Cup winner General Soho has been quite good in his four runs since including back-to-back and recent seconds here over 1250m. Paul Perry has brought him back to the 1100m but it is important to bear in mind that he has raced at that same track/distance three times for two seconds. if the track happened to play fair for some reason, it would really bring Perigord into play. He actually races tremendously well here but again; he is very tempo/luck/no bias reliant. Shanaya has to be a chance on her last two Highway runs.

BET: GENERAL SOHO TO WIN, QUINELLA 1,2